Arc discharge has been known for a long time. A sustained arc will generate hot plasma. However, by controlling the arc, one can generate a cold arc discharge producing a very dense plasma, but with considerably less heat. In the past, a small pulse width using a flyback transformer produced such dense plasma, but it was a rather difficult and expensive way of generating a “cold arc”.
In Canadian patent application No. 2,353,752 there is disclosed a method and an apparatus for producing hydrogen and carbon from natural gas or methane using a barrier discharge non-thermal plasma, which is also called “cold plasma”. Such process requires, however, the use of precisely designed and formulated ceramic materials as the dielectric barrier. Such materials may be difficult and expensive to obtain or produce. There is, therefore, a need for a method and an apparatus that would transform natural gas or methane primarily into hydrogen and carbon without requiring such materials.